Sauber has confirmed each its present drivers will go away the crew on the finish of the yr because it has opted for an all-new line-up for 2025.
The crew has named Formulation 2 factors chief Gabriel Bortoleto will be part of the crew alongside Nico Hulkenberg, whose hiring from Haas was introduced in April.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will due to this fact go away the crew. Bottas joined Sauber from Mercedes in 2022, the identical yr Zhou made his F1 debut. Neither has scored some extent of their third season collectively as Sauber has struggled with its uncompetitive C44 chassis.
“After open and constructive discussions with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, we mutually concluded that situations to proceed collectively couldn’t be met so we agreed that it’s time to half methods,” the crew stated in an announcement. “We want to thank each for the contribution they’ve made to the crew within the final three years. They’ve been the embodiment of professionalism, utilizing their expertise and enthusiasm to assist our development.”
McLaren confirmed it has launched Bortoleto from its younger driver programme to ensure that him to hitch Sauber. The 20-year-old, who gained the Formulation 3 sequence final yr, is main the Formulation 2 championship with 4 races remaining. If he wins the championship, he’ll turn into the primary F2 champion to graduate instantly into Formulation 1 since Mick Schumacher in 2021.
Earlier than becoming a member of the Formulation 2 grid this season, Bortoleto additionally claimed the Formulation 3 title final yr earlier than stepping as much as F2 with the Invicta crew. Over his first 24 begins in F2, Bortoleto has taken two race victories within the function races on the Pink Bull Ring and at Monza, the place he rose from twenty second and final on the grid to win with the assistance of a well-timed Security Automobile. He additionally scored podiums in Imola, Monaco and Spa-Francorchamps – all second locations.
Bortoleto will turn into the primary Brazilian driver to race on the planet championship full-time since Felipe Massa in 2017. He stated Sauber, which can turn into Audi’s works F1 crew in 2026, is “one of the vital thrilling tasks in motorsport, if not in all of sports activities.”
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“I’m extremely grateful for the chance given to me by the crew and for the possibility to work alongside an skilled driver like Nico,” he stated.
The information leaves Bottas, who made his F1 debut with Williams in 2013, with out a seat for subsequent yr. “A scenario like that is by no means straightforward for anybody,” he stated. “However in spite of everything the nice and in-depth discussions we had up to now weeks, we realised that the situations to develop this challenge collectively weren’t met.”
Bottas gained 10 grands prix in his 5 seasons at Mercedes, his final coming at Istanbul in 2021. He not too long ago indicated he would contemplate returning to his former crew as a reserve driver.
Zhou grew to become the primary Chinese language driver to race in F1 two years in the past. He stated he’s “absolutely dedicated to ending the season in type.”
“I’m grateful to the crew for giving me an opportunity in Formulation 1,” he stated. “This isn’t a simple sport for rookies, however the crew has allowed me to develop a lot over these three years.”
China’s spherical of the world championship returned to the calendar this yr, giving Zhou his first likelihood to race in F1 at residence. “China, earlier this season, was no doubt a spotlight,” he stated, “however so many moments, each in public and behind the scenes, are what I’m going to recollect from the final three years.”
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“I’ll now deal with the following step in my profession,” he added. “I nonetheless have loads of struggle left in me and I’m eager to proceed progressing.”
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